May 4, 2021
BY PROBLYN JOHN ALPHA
The Chairman Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI) Kono Branch has formally suspended the newly elected chairperson and entire executive members of the Polio Victims’ Association from functioning in the district effective 17th April, 2021.
This is according to a suspension letter written by the SLUDI Kono District chairman, Charles Kapuewa dated 17th April, 2021.
Mr. Kapuewa stated in the said letter that by the power accorded him as chairman of the Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI) Kono, has the mandate to put a stay order on the functions of any disability organizations that do not work in accordance with the constitution of the union.
It is based on such background he has suspended the newly elected Polio Victims’ Association chairperson, Hawa Marrah and her entire executive.
He proffered the following reasons for the suspension namely: defying SLUDI’S mandate by conducting the elections when they were told not to do so, and failure to make prior notice of SLUDI Kono and the Ministry of Social Welfare, SLUDI in Freetown, among other things.
Also, it was cited that the Polio Victim’s leadership in the person of Hawa Marrah failed to attend an urgent meeting at the office, intended to resolve issues contained in a complaint letter addressed by aggrieved members of the association.
The suspended Polio Leadership is accused of levying the sum of five hundred thousand Leones as candidature fee which has been challenged by one Cheyayoh Tamba as something not consistent with the constitutional provision.
Giving her take on the suspension and responding to the allegations levied against her in the said suspension letter, the newly re-elected chairperson of the Polio Victim’s Association Kono District Hawa Marrah stated that, SLUDI has no right to suspend her from her position hence the election committee has not officially introduced them as the newly elected executive members of the association. She argued that it is not enshrined in SLUDI’s constitution that, Charles Kapuewa as chairman has the mandate to conduct or put on hold the electioneering process of any disability association in the district.
Hawa Marrah further referred to the allegations leveled against her by Mr. Kapuewa as baseless, unfounded.
She has therefore planned to reply to Mr. Kapuewa’s suspension letter accordingly upon hearing from the SLUDI National chairman, who she has forwarded the aforementioned letter to for his attention.